This old gal…
Felt blindsided… by the old estrogen drop…the symptoms creeping up unexpectedly…old gal me…just not feeling…like old gal me…felt unprepared…not used to feeling so fatigued…legs barely able to hold this blobby body up…this husband of mine concerned about the out of the blue weeping…the need…for long naps… But it’s interesting…how you can listen to something…but not really hear…until it applies…to you…a friend…sharing her story earlier…another friend…doing the same…that MS specialist…talking about supplements for that daughter of mine…throws in the name of a product he highly recommends…for older women…like…his mother…wink wink… And now…it makes sense…the suggestions of these friends…make sense…it becoming obvious…that in these small gestures…Someone out there…was letting this old gal know…she was not alone…these Godwinks…gave answer finding me…a place to start…steps to take…something to try…got tired old me…on the path…to getting her pep…back in her step… And this husband of mine…agrees…
0 Comments
This husband of mine…
Made an observation…while standing near his seated wife…I hate to say it…but he says it anyway…it looks like your hair…is getting a little thin on top…of course it is…why wouldn’t it be…throw that in…with all the other maladies rearing their ugly heads recently… Actually saw a doctor…trying to make sense of some things…kind of taken aback…by what was heard…used words like…atrophy…shrinkage…drying up…like what….since when is this a thing…and why…did this old gal…not know it was coming…thought she’d survived that big female midlife deal with grace… Learned to live with the hotflashes…tolerate the intolerance to heat…accepted the belly blob…but now…we throw in fatigue…brain fog…irritability…joint pain…and apparently…can’t even say it…withering… All because…that estrogen…like one of those cats in those vintage posters…has decided…after ten years…it can no longer…hang in there…it’s not the end of the world…of course…research has begun for solutions…it’s amazing how many down there experts there are…on tik tok… And for those of you…lucky enough to avoid the estrogen drop…kudos to you…for those of you…suffering in silence…because it’s one of those things we never talk about… You…have a friend…in me… And I’m sure…someone out there…agrees… This old gal…
Was scrolling through her phone…when two photos…side by side…caught her eye…same pose…same smile…same big Bohemie head…couldn’t help but to think the word…twins…those daughters of mine…always say it…when two of us jinx paddlelock…or text the same comment unknowingly… And there we were…in that Google photo line up…little Smidge and her Mama…40 years apart…but kind of like…twins…it’s funny…seeing yourself…in your kids…seeing the good…and the not so good…taking credit for the good…failing to pass off the not so good…to some other genetic link they may have floating around in there somewhere… But truth be told…mama me…hopes for more for these ladies…more…than being like their mom…more than being a twin…instead…may they become…the ER version…of hER… StrongER…bravER…wisER…kindER…calmER…happiER… This old gal…on many occasions…has fallen short…in the world of life and mothering…may these sweet treasures of mine…take this to heart…learn from these mistakes…and become… A bettER version…of the woman…who loves…them most… And those daughters of mine…agree… *possible spoiler alert…but mostly this old gal’s take on the movie…
This old gal… Went to the Barbie movie…enjoyed the flick…had a multitude of themes…not sure if there was a main theme…kind of like playing Barbies…you can make it…whatever you want… Have to admit…was not on board to see Ryan Gosling as Ken…seemed too old…too blond…too thin…but…he…as Beach Ken…gave this old gal…the feels…for the underlying theme…for Beach Ken…is love…his love for Barbie…and his desire…to be loved back…one scene bringing tears to these old eyes…when Barbie makes it clear…they are…just friends… Haven’t we all been there…loving…hoping for love in return…wishing for…searching for…longing for…those who will love you…as deeply…as you…love them… So don’t give up…Beach Ken…in the Barbie world of 6 year me…Barbie loved Ken…and Ken…loved Barbie…and they got married…probably a gazillion times… It’s out there……may take a divorce or two…not gonna lie…but don’t give up hope… And this husband of mine…agrees This old gal’s…
Ceramic birdbath…was tipped…flipped…and shattered one evening…by some big nosy animal…went to discard the broken thing…only to see it set up again…one fractured half…leaning precariously on the pedestal…this husband of mine…filling it with as much water as it would hold… Curious me…having never seen a bird use it here at Little Cottage…inquired as to why we were saving…this seemingly useless eye sore…and thus came an answer…that made her…take pause…I’m filling it…for the wasps…comes the reply…like we water the wasps every day…like watering wasps…is even a thing… And then comes the…everything you ever wanted to know about wasps…by the tidbit king…episode one… Wasps…need water to survive…but come to the watering hole…to collect water…to take back to their nest…sharing it with others…or mixing it with wood pulp…for building…sometimes they drink more than they can carry…hence…that giant wasp that haphazardly flew in the face of outside relaxing me…not going for me at all…says the king…just too heavy and couldn’t fly straight… So these wasps…one of us has been trying to get rid of…the other…has been caring for…and so it was…old broken bodied wasp bath…replaced with lovely pottery dish from Goodwill…the wasps are happy…the wasp whisperer is happy…and this old gal… Just keeps…her distance… And Old Man Wrigley…agrees… This husband of mine…
Loves to go out for breakfast…favorite morning eatery…just down the street…friendly people…amazing food…delicious…coffee…the brew aways delivered in the coffee shop type mug…simple…white…generic…until…the Waffle and Pancake House…threw a curveball… Ordered coffee as usual…only this time…nothing about it was usual…cuz that steaming mug…shows up…exploding…with color…looked around…booths and tables filled with coffee drinking patrons…each drinking from a mug…with a personality…of its own… On the weekends when it’s busy…explains the boss…we run out of mugs…so we brought some from home…then patrons started donating some…and now…we have a collection…and so they do…and for some reason…this old gal…is just so tickled…by this whole unexpected conglomeration… The beauty…of the different colors at the tables…the anticipation of what will my mug look like today…the building of community…as patrons tease with…hey…how come you got the Hawkeye mug and I got…this girlie one… Well played…oh favorite eatery of ours…going with it…thinking outside the box…putting a mug in the hand…and a smile on the face…and making something as simple as a cup of coffee with breakfast…so unbelievably…fun… And this husband of mine…agrees… This old gal…
Has orderer’s remorse…chose Mexican for lunch…had no fish tacos…so ordered tilapia in its place…said it was a whole piece…hungry me thinking whole filet…rather than tons of nuggies…but hungry me…could not have been…more wrong… Mr. Tilapia showed up…all ready for dining…didn’t know where to start…or how to eat it…picked at it a bit…that eye…omg that eye…watching the fumbling fingers…meat was scarce really…mostly just skin…deep fried crispy skin…that tasted like chicken skin…or pork rinds…will eat each of those…but there was something about…fish…skin… Gave it go…but had to call it quits…deciding fish carcass picking me…was going to get a treat…on the way home… And so it is…in life…sometimes our expectations…far exceed…reality…life throws you a curveball…the unexpected happens…but it’s ok…to say…it’s not good for you…to decide…you need something else…to let it go…and find something that truly…makes…your heart happy… And this husband of mine…agrees… Old Man Wrigley…
Has found his voice…meek…mild little fluffball that he is…never made noise…didn’t meow…chirp…growl…had the faintest of purrs…babysat for the weekend…had little responsibility beyond feeding and petting…but did have to administer antibiotic…to help clear up an ear infection… I’m leaving you some wet food…his mom says…it’s a treat for after his medicine…but I’m afraid…she continues…once you feed him wet food…it will create…a monster…and she…was not wrong…got the medicine down fine…but after the can of wet food was gone…Old Man Wrigley…was no longer content…with the boring dry Friskies…we had to offer… And thus…emerged…a bossy stubbornness…never seen before…and a voice…no longer…willing to be silent…this was not the scaredy cat Wrigley…we’d come to know…this Wrigley…had an opinion…and was not afraid to share it… And…he was heard…cans of wet food now in the cupboard…that push over husband of mine…that treat…or two…he gets every day…it just goes to show…silence may be golden…but speaking up…may lead to some whitefish and sardine shreds… And Old Man Wrigley…agrees… This husband and I…
Were watching a storm from the window…mid afternoon…sky dark as dark…wind whipping…rain pelting…the phone rings…that neighbor of ours has a favor…would it be possible…to run to her back yard…and rescue two potted plants…from sure high wind disaster… No problemo…says this old gal…throwing on shoes and heading out…just in time to hear…that fatherly voice…from behind…do you have any boots…well yes…bought a pair in Ireland a few years back…how about a rain coat…well…yeeessss…have one from Casual Corner from the 80s…still fits…kind of… These were retrieved…no haphazard drenching run in the rain gonna happen on his watch…this was to be a responsible errand…a mature bundle up stay dry in the storm…errand…Ireland boots on…vintage raincoat stretched at the seams…this old gal…embarks…and enters…nothing less than a wonderland…rain…coming down in sheets…water rushing…rivulets dripping…puddles…puddling… And 61 year old me…was suddenly…6 again…those boots…having a mind of their own…stepping and stomping…splishing and splashing…seeking out puddles…instead of avoiding…that old coat…drenched…heavy with water…but this old gal…felt light…with the thrill…of feeling young again…being silly…breaking rules…having fun… And so it is…with growing up…we get bogged down…with this and that…the right way vs the wrong way…the Instagram way…vs…the non filtered way…that we forget…that it’s ok…to get a little wet…stand in the rain…splash those boots…in the puddles…to just let go…have fun…and be…a kid again… And this husband of mine…agrees… This old gal…
Remembers when casseroles…weren’t a thing…meals consisted of meats…potatoes…separate…not mixed…unless it was in…a soup…Girl Scout me was fascinated with the concept…became enlightened with the acquisition…of the 1970 Band Parent Cookbook…earned a cooking badge…making the Hamburger Dish… Love the Tator Tot casserole…but could never…quite perfect it…at first added mixed vegetables to the beef…but this old gal…doesn’t really like mixed vegetables…they taste…like dirt…switched to corn…and added cheddar cheese under the tots…not bad…loved the cheese…but the corn…too…corny… Fast forward 50 years…this old gal…finally…has a revelation…she loves green beans…like in Shepherd’s Pie so why not…make Tator Tot casserole…with green beans…or maybe it’s really Shepherd’s Pie…with Tator Tots… Set in her ways…always follow the rules me…never thought to break free…from those tried recipes…and create one…that was true…to her tastes…and her tastes alone…and here we are…that hamburger dish of 8 year old me…having taken 53 years of tweaking and morphing…has finally reached…Michelin Star standards…to the point that one could say… It’s the best Jerry…the best…iykyk… And this non casserole eating husband of mine…agrees… |
This Old Gal
Devoted Wife Magical Mom Retired Teacher Embracing life's grand adventures with humor and grace. Archives
July 2024
Categories |